Issue Brief Details High Human and Financial Costs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 28, 2024 – Today, the National Partnership and Physicians for Reproductive Health (PRH) released a new analysis of the impact of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision on abortion providers. The disastrous consequences of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs and extreme state abortion bans for pregnant people are well documented.

Currently, 26 states have banned or are likely to ban abortion, putting a disproportionate burden on women of color and disabled people. While some people have turned to telemedicine for reproductive health care, the mifepristone case (Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA) currently before the Supreme Court could close that path if the Court overrides the FDA’s approval of the drug, which accounts for 63% of all abortions. In-person abortion procedures still remain an important part of comprehensive reproductive health care.

The Dobbs decision’s far-reaching impacts on health care providers and the communities they serve continue to grow, as the National Partnership and PRH’s analysis reveals. The report includes quotes from affected providers detailing Dobbs’ high cost and the impact on their professional and personal well-being.

Here are some highlights:

• Providers were forced to shift the care or services they provide, relocate, or stop providing care because of state laws and threats of criminalization
• Limited training opportunities in sexual and reproductive health care for those in restrictive states have diminished further and become even more difficult to access
• Many providers have been forced to bear the economic costs of relocating to a new state
• Providers’ mental health is suffering as a result seeing patients denied access to care
• Providers face renewed threats to their physical safety
• Harms aren’t limited to reproductive health care but extend to maternal health

“Our analysis thoroughly debunks the myth behind the Supreme Court’s false claim that they can strip away the constitutional right to access abortion without it having larger implications for people’s lives,” said Jocelyn Frye, President of the National Partnership for Women & Families. “We are now seeing the casual cruelty that has undermined people’s reproductive health and safety– and upended the lives and livelihoods of those who have dedicated themselves to caring for them.”

“We know that, in addition to the impact on patients, abortion restrictions have a real, devastating impact on the health care provider workforce. PRH’s network of abortion providers work in communities across the country,” said Dr. Jamila Perritt, President & CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health. “This report gives data and context to the stories PRH has been hearing and sharing as our doctors work to navigate these troubling times. When abortion care is under threat and attack, it impacts the lives and families of patients and of everyone who advocates for and supports that person in getting the care they need. From job security to safety to education and training, the devastating blow of abortion bans are felt from all sides.”

The National Partnership for Women & Families President Jocelyn C. Frye and Physicians for Reproductive Health President & CEO Dr. Jamila Perritt are available to discuss what’s at stake for pregnant people and abortion providers as attempts to undermine reproductive rights accelerate.

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The National Partnership for Women & Families is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy group dedicated to promoting fairness in the workplace, reproductive health and rights, access to quality, affordable health care and policies that help all people meet the dual demands of work and family. More information is available at NationalPartnership.org.

Physicians for Reproductive Health is a physician-led national advocacy organization that organizes, mobilizes, and amplifies the voices of medical providers to advance sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice. PRH’s programs combine education, advocacy, and strategic communications to ensure access to the full spectrum of equitable, comprehensive reproductive health care. PRH believes that this work is necessary for all people to live freely with dignity, safety, and security. Learn more at prh.org.

Media Contact:

Miriam Cash
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